{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fusps-mailin-it.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fthe-postal-services-cold-war-plan-AkTuUE9y","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"If the Sirens Sounded: The Postal Service’s Cold War Plan","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/f0e3a949-0ed5-4627-bf15-c7268892eb73/f2c886ee-a467-452a-ae0b-a1d9cf1fc478/cropped_1791554476137.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/b2777d09-9a82-4c0b-8994-7361e4e038bf\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"If the Sirens Sounded: The Postal Service’s Cold War Plan\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"During the Cold War, the U.S. government prepared for the unthinkable… And the Post Office Department had a surprising role to play. In this episode of Mailin’ It!, USPS historian Steve Kochersperger and Smithsonian military history curator Frank Blazich reveal how Post Offices became fallout shelters, postal vehicles were designated for emergency use, and some employees formed a nationwide ham radio network. Discover how lessons learned from Cold War civil defense helped shape the Postal Service’s approach to emergency preparedness today."}